The Cabinet Secretary, Rajiv Gauba, while chairing a high-level meeting to review the public health response to COVID-19 asked all the States and Union Territories to closely monitor the trajectory of COVID infections to prevent subsequent surges and expedite vaccination of people above 18 years of age.Chief Secretary, J&K Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Additional Chief Secretary, Health & Medical Education Department, besides Chief Secretaries/Administrators of other States and Union Territories participated in the meeting.While reviewing the situation, the Cabinet Secretary informed that India is witnessing a consistent decline in COVID cases from the peak 4.14 lakh cases in May 2021 to 54,000 cases reported yesterday.The Cabinet Secretary urged the States/UTs to ensure a multi-sectoral response based on test-track-treat and vaccinate to prevent subsequent waves of infection especially in the wake of Delta and Delta Plus mutant strains of the virus. He also advised the States/UTs to ardently promote COVID appropriate behaviour, and lift restrictions in a regulated manner so as to prevent any future surges. “The States and Union territories must strictly enforce COVID appropriate behaviour and standard operating procedures besides proper crowd management in public places”, he added.The Chief Secretary, J&K requested the Central Government to provide 20 lakh doses to the Union territory before 10th July 2021 to enhance immunity in the general public.Later, the Chief Secretary directed the Health & Medical Education Department to undertake an extensive IEC campaign to promote COVID appropriate behavior and healthy habits to contain the pandemic.He asked the Department to install certified laboratories in J&K for genome sequencing of COVID samples for early detection of mutant virus strains. The Department was further asked to maintain adequate stocks for COVID specific medicines.Currently, J&K has 6782 active COVID cases with 96.5% recovery rate, 1.4% mortality rate and 0.9% positivity rate (in last 24 hours).Meanwhile, J&K has also vaccinated 85% of health care workers, 84% of frontline workers, 80% people in above 45 age category and 10% of the population in 18- 45 age category. The Chief Secretary asked the Health Department to ensure 100% vaccination of health care workers and frontline workers within a week.